Halo 5: Guardians Coming in 2015

Details are sparse, but Microsoft and 343 Industries announced the next entry in the long-running Halo series on Friday morning. Due in the fall of 2015, Halo 5: Guardians will see the return of Master Chief and what appears to be an all-new protagonist as well.

"Halo isn’t simply a perennial game franchise, it’s a part of the Xbox platform itself," wrote 343 Industries General Manager Bonnie Ross on Xbox Wire. "In terms of innovation and ideation, it’s sometimes important to people who might not even play Halo. And of course it’s a passion and an essential experience for two generations of gamers. So we asked ourselves, how do we begin and where do we go with Halo on Xbox One?"

Halo 5: Guardians is going to be a "massive and exciting project" for the Xbox One, using a brand new engine to create vast "worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen." To complement the launch of the sequel, 2015 will also see the release of Steven Spielberg's 'Halo' series, which will stand alone in narrative but work in conjunction with Halo 5 as part of the "Halo Journey."

Ross promised more details and info would be revealed at Microsoft's E3 press conference, set to take place on June 9. Since last year's teaser trailer for Halo 5, we've all been expecting a more formal reveal, and the fact that Microsoft has announced this sequel ahead of E3 means there must be some pretty exciting content planned for June 9. Microsoft has had a busy week, announcing a new, Kinect-less Xbox One would be made available in June, and now Halo 5: Guardians. Though it won't be out until 2015, we're eager to see just what lies ahead for Master Chief.